Pocket cigarette lighters



Sept. 1966 J. GEVIRMAN ETAL 3,

POCKET CIGARETTE LIGHTERS Filed Dec. 4, 1964 INVENTORS JEROME GEVIRMAN LAWRENCE T WARD United States Patent "ice 3,270,528 POCKET CIGARETTE LIGHTERS Jerome Gevirman, 1025 th Ave., New York, N.Y., and Lawrence T. Ward, Hester St., Portland, Pa. Filed Dec. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 416,057 5 Claims. (Cl. 67--7.1)

The present invention relates to lighters of the type employing an inflammable gas under pressure, and the specific object of the invention is to provide simple and effective mechanism incorporated in a top member of the assembly into which a refill can may be held by threaded engagement and easily removable for replacement when it is depleted of fuel, the arrangement being such that when the fuel can is fully threaded into position the top unit will automatically open a gas discharge valve in the can so that the gaseous fuel will rise to a valve in the upper unit, the valve being so associated with a spring engaged cover that the fuel is discharged simultaneously with action by the cover upon an igniter. When the cover is closed the valve in the said upper unit automatically moves to close position. Also by rotation of the housing for the nozzle valve in the upper unit, the degree of outflow of gas and hence the height of the flame, may readily be controlled.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in elevation of the device;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section through the structure with the tank partly broken away;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section through the upper area of the structure with the cover raised;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-4, FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5-5, FIGURE 3.

Referring more particularly to FIGURE 2, it will be seen that the wall of the fuel tank 1 at its top periphery is curled as shown at 2, so as to form a bead. On the head is placed a sealing ring 3, and resting on said sealing ring is the peripheral flange 4* of a valve housing -4. This valve housing is provided with a depending well which receives a coiled spring 5, the latter normally holding a valve member 6 in closed position. Above valve member 6 is a sealing ring 7 which is provided with an axial aperture.

To tightly hold the fuel tank valve housing on the can 1, a retaining member 8 is employed. This retaining member is formed with a skirt which at its lower margin is inwardly depressed under the tank bead 2. Also, the retaining member 8 is centrally cupped and the wall of the cup is internally threaded.

The upper member of the assembly is centrally formed with an annular chamber into which is threaded a plug 9. As indicated in FIG. 2, plug 9 has an outwardly threaded exposed lower end, to be received by the internal threads of the retainer 8 carried by the tank.

The said upper member 10 is adapted to abut the top wall of the tank.

When the tank 1 is placed in threaded engagement with the member 10 of the assembly, a hollow pin-projection of plug 9 will depress tank valve 6 and the gas will rise into an axial aperture 9 of plug 9. At the upper end of aperture 9 is a washer 12 which is of somewhat less diameter than a bore in plug 9 which receives it, so that gas may pass around it when pressure on it is released. Immediately above washer 12 is a compressible gas-permeable disk 13 and which may be of foam plastic. In accordance with the degree of compression upon disk 13, will be the extent of its open pores, so that if the disk is not compressed it will pass 3,270,528 Patented Sept. 6, 1966 the maximum flow of gas from the tank. When the disk is compressed to an additional degree, it will diminish the passage of gas from the periphery of washer 12 and through its pores.

The immediately foregoing description has to do with controlling the height of the flame. For such purpose there is loosely positioned within the central chamber of plug 9 a disk-compressing member 15 is provided with a central aperture immediately overlying porous disk 13. Member 15 is slidingly disposed within plug 9 and is formed with a longitudinally apertured depending neck which may immediately engage disk 13. Around the neck may be placed a soft rubber sealing ring 16. Threaded into plug 9 and having its lower end bearing upon member 15, is a valve housing 17. This valve housing may be rotated to bear upon member 15 in greater or lesser degree to control the height of the flame.

Within valve housing 17 is the nozzle valve 18, the latter being formed with central aperture at 18* communicating with cross passages at 19. This nozzle valve is enlarged at its lower end to provide a shoulder adapted to receive the pressure of a coiled spring 20 and the spring may directly engage a ring 21 if desired. Below the flow apertures and nozzle valve 18 is a sealing disk 22, adapted to close the aperture in member 15.

Nozzle valve 18 is headed at its top so as to have a neck below it and a shoulder at the top of the neck adapted to be engaged by the forked lever 22. This lever is housed between the flat parallel walls 23 of the upper member 10 as indicated in FIGURES 1 and 5, and is engaged by spring means now to be described.

In one or two vertical holes, shown in the drawing at 24, a coiled spring, or two springs 25, will be received to bear upon a cover member 26 pivoted to, and between, the upstanding walls 23 (FIGURES 1 and 3), the pivot being indicated at 27. Outwardly of pivot 27, forked lever is pivotally connected at 28 to said cover member. The springs 25 bear upon a roller 29, which will extend across them at their tops.

When cover 26 is raised, its curved heel (see FIG. 3) will bear against roller 29 and tend to move it, against the pressure of springs 25, from its position in FIG. 2 to its position in FIG. 3, and the cover will lightly be held in open position. By the same opening movement of the cover the forked lever -will be raised, thereby lifting nozzle valve 18 and communicating its axial passageway with the underlying passageways, hereinbefore described, leading to the gas tank interior. Then by a thumb-turn of serrated wheel 30, flint 31 will throw igniting sparks to the gas passing outwardly from nozzle head 18 Flint 30 is slidingly received in a vertical hole and is pressed upwardly by a spring, 32, FIG. 2. The wall of said hole for spring 32 is internally threaded to receive a threaded closure stud 33 which is exposed when the gas tank is removed so that the spring can be adjusted and also removed with the flint for replacement of the latter.

Height of the flame is controlled by a simple adjustment of the valve housing 17. For that purpose an elongated open passage is formed in the base area of one of the walls 23, as shown at 34. Through said passage extends a finger 35 (see FIG. 4) connected in any suitable manner to the valve housing 17. By moving finger 35 in one direction the valve housing will be raised to exert less pressure upon foam disk 14 and, its pores being expanded, the flame will be increased. By reverse action of said adjusting finger the flame will be decreased.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made in the form and arrangement of the elements constituting the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A cigarette lighter comprising, in combination, a fuel tank, a valve housing in the tank, a spring pressed valve in the housing for normally closing the valve from passage therefrom of fuel, an internally threaded pocket in the valve housing, an upper body member, a plug within a chamber of said body member and having a threaded outwardly projected and normally exposed end, whereby vthe fuel tank may be held by such plug with the tank in abutment with said body member, a hollow finger depending from the plug and adapted to depress and open the valve of the fuel tank when said tank is threaded upon the upper body member, a porous member in the plug and above its hollow finger, a second valve housing which is threaded in the plug above said porous disk, a spring pressed nozzle valve in said second valve housing, a cover for said upper body member pivoted on the latter, spring means acting upon said cover, a lift-lever carried by the cover and engaging the nozzle valve to lift the latter when the cover is raised, a friction wheel and a spring pressed flint carried by said upper body member, and manual means projected from said upper body member for rotating the valve housing to apply a compression force on said porous member and for releasing such force.

.2. A cigarette lighter constructed in accordance with claim 1 in which the can has a normally open top in combination with sealing means for the can, comprising a sealing ring lying on the periphery of the can top, the valve housing being formed with an outwardly projecting horizontal flange ring lying on said sealing ring, and a skirted retaining member lying over the flange of said valve housing, the skirt of said retaining member being bonded to the top Wall of the can, and said retaining memer lining the pocket in the first named valve housing, to

virtually become a member thereof, and directly having the pocket threads which receive the plug.

3. A cigarette lighter constructed in accordance with claim 1, in which the upper body member is formed with at least one uppermost reduced and flattened side wall area, said side wall area being formed with an elongated transverse aperture, the means for rotating the valve housing to apply compression force on the porou member, being a finger applied to the valve nozzle and projecting through said aperture in the body member.

4. A cigarette lighter constructed in accordance with claim 1, in which the second valve housing within which is the spring pressed nozzle valve is disposed, abuts a disk compressing member which i axially apertured and which has sliding movement in the plug, the lower end of said disk compressing member directly engaging the porous member.

5. A cigarette lighter constructed in accordance with claim 1 in which the second valve housing is formed with a smooth outer wall surface and an outwardly threaded inner surface for threading into the plug, and the nozzle valve is formed with an enlarged lower end of less area than the internal area of the threaded portion of the nozzle valve, and a sealing disk inter-mediate said second nozzle valve, and a freely slidable disk compressing member for the porous member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,701,955 2/1955 Gevirman 677.l

FOREIGN PATENTS 70,495 12/ 1958 France.

EDWARD 1. MICHAEL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CIGARETTE LIGHTER COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FUEL TANK, A VALVE HOUSING IN THE TANK, A SPRING PRESSED VALVE IN THE HOUSING FOR NORMALLY CLOSING THE VALVE FROM PASSAGE THEREFROM OF FUEL, AN INTGERNALLY THREADED POCKET IN THE VALVE HOUSING, AN UPPER BODY MEMBER, A PLUG WITHIN A CHAMBER OF SAID BODY MEMBER AND HAVING A THREADED OUTWARDLY PROJECTED AND NORMALLY EXPOSED END, WHEREBY THE FUEL TANK MAY BE HELD BY SUCH PLUG WITH THE TANK IN ABUTMENT WITH SAID BODY MEMBER, A HOLLOW FINGER DEPENDING FROM THE PLUG AND ADAPTED TO DEPRESS AND OPEN THE VALVE OF THE FUEL TANK WHEN SAID TANK IS THREADED UPON THE UPPER BODY MEMBER, A POROUS MEMBER IN THE PLUG AND ABOVE ITS HOLLOW FINGER, A SECOND VALVE HOUSING WHICH IS THREADED IN THE PLUG ABOVE SAID POROUS DISK, A SPRING PRESSED NOZZLE VALVE IN SAID SECOND VALVE HOUSING, A COVER FOR SAID UPPER BODY MEMBER PIVOTED ON THE LATTER, SPRING MEANS ACTING UPON SAID COVER, A LIFT-LEVER CARRIED BY THE COVER AND ENGAGING THE NOZZLE VALVE TO LIFT THE LATTER WHEN THE COVER IS RAISED, A FRICTION WHEEL AND A SPRING PRESSED FLINT CARRIED BY SAID UPPER BODY MEMBER, AND MANUAL MEANS PROJECTED FROM SAID UPPER BODY MEMBER FOR ROTATING THE VALVE HOUSING TO APPLY A COMPRESSION FORCE ON SAID POROUS MEMBER AND FOR RELEASING SUCH FORCE. 